PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE
October 3, 2008

LINGAYEN--- Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, national president of the League of Mayors of the Philippines (LMP), thanked the provincial government, Department of Health, United States Agency for International Development, and the European Commission for the holding of the Pangasinan Health Summit for the province of Pangasinan.

Guico described the summit as “a very timely” activity as the country needs health reforms even as he stressed that “providing the proper health care to our constituents lies solely on the LGUs using the FOURmula One for Health.”

He encouraged the mayors “to start establishing linkages and networking with NGOs and funding institutions along with setting policies and advocating policy changes, discovering new channels of action, creating partnerships and gaining cooperation among concerned agencies to achieve this goal.”

“The challenges are insurmountable, and need a high calling of renewed cooperative spirit, refreshed sense of selflessness and restored spirit of altruism,” Guico said.

In the same occassion, Guico has informed the mayors of the LMP’s new program called “Kung Maliit ang Pamilya, Kayang-Kaya” which aims to promote the advantages of “small-family set-up” in their localities.

“Having a small family is an advantage to the LGUs as we could effectively deliver quality health services and other basic services,” he said.

With theme “Good Governance Leads to Good Health, Good Health is Governance,” the summit has served as catalyst to know the health situation of the Pangasinan and its municipalities, discuss strategic interventions needed to address the health gaps, align and synchronize priorities, and share good practices for replication.

The two-day activity was in support to the FOURmula One on Health, a roadmap for health reforms from the national down to local levels via effective service delivery, governance, financing and regulation. (Merly R. Tibalao/PIO)